Blog

WSDOT is requesting $1.060 billion more for 2023–25—not including additional funding for culverts

The Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has requested $1.060 billion from all funds for the 2024 supplemental. That would be an increase of 10.4% over enacted 2023–25 appropriations for the agency. However, the supplemental request does not include the estimated additional $725 million that could be needed for fish passage barrier removal in 2023–25. Additionally, the […]

Dept. of Natural Resources is requesting an additional $23 million for its wildfire response and forest restoration program

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is requesting a 5.8% increase to its general fund–state (GFS) appropriations for 2023–25. On top of that, it is requesting a larger transfer from the GFS to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account (25P). The 25P account was created as part of 2SHB 1168 in 2021, […]

Secretary of State requests supplemental funding for elections, for TVW, and to backfill document recording fee revenues

The Office of the Secretary of State is requesting a 40.4% increase to its 2023–25 general fund–state (GFS) appropriations. The largest item is $23.8 million in 2023–25 to reimburse counties for election costs. According to the request, the enacted 2023–25 biennial budget “does not allocate sufficient funds to reimburse the state share of costs to […]

Forecast of state revenues increased

At its quarterly this morning this morning, the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) updated its forecasts of state revenues. These new forecasts increase the amount available over the current and next bienniums by a total of $752 million. Budget reports from legislative fiscal committees typically roll up four accounts: the general fund–state, the […]

The cost of removing fish passage barriers could double, which would substantially impact the transportation budget

The Seattle Times has a troubling report on new estimates of the cost of removing fish passage barriers in Washington. In 2013, a federal court issued a permanent injunction requiring “the state to significantly increase the effort for removing state-owned culverts that block habitat for salmon and steelhead by 2030.” Since then, the state has […]

The Office of Independent Investigations is requesting a 63% funding increase

The Office of Independent Investigations (OII) is asking the Legislature to increase its 2023–25 appropriations by 63.2%. (All of the appropriations for the OII are from the general fund–state.) The OII was created by the state in 2021. Under the enacting legislation, ESHB 1267 (codified as RCW 43.102), the OII is authorized to conduct investigations […]

Health Care Authority requests just a 3% increase to its budget, but that doesn’t include the impacts from the caseload forecast

For the 2024 supplemental operating budget, the Health Care Authority (HCA) has requested an increase to its 2023–25 general fund–state (GFS) appropriations of $222.6 million (3.0%). However, that includes several placeholders that will add significantly to the total. Of the amount that is included in the request, $142.2 million is at the maintenance level (the […]

Public school enrollment and the school-aged population are expected to continue to decrease for the next several years (and other notes from the caseload and population forecasts)

Last week, the Caseload Forecast Council (CFC) adopted the November caseload forecast. The caseload forecast helps to determine the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) for the state operating budget. This particular forecast will be used in the governor’s 2024 supplemental budget proposal. (The Legislature will base its […]

The supplemental budget request from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families includes funding for legal settlements and preparation for the upcoming ECEAP entitlement

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has requested an increase of $233.7 million from the general fund–state (GFS) for the 2024 supplemental operating budget. That would increase GFS spending for the agency by 7.6% over enacted 2023–25 appropriations. DCYF was created in 2017. It took over responsibility for children and family services, juvenile […]

Higher education supplemental budget requests include $19 million for WSU to purchase required carbon allowances

Agencies in the higher education budget area (the four-year institutions, the community and technical college system, and the Student Achievement Council) have requested a total increase of $164.0 million from the general fund–state (GFS) for the 2024 supplemental operating budget. (The requested increase from all funds is $179.4 million.) As I wrote yesterday, $100.0 million […]